POLITICS: British Tory MP announces intention to defect to Labour party

A key conservative member of the British Parliament announced that he had defected to Prime Minister Tony Blair's Labour party today. Robert Jackson, called his own parties views "dangerous" in regards to Europe, "incoherent" in the matter of public policy, and "wobbled" on Iraq



Okay, Ill be the first to admit, is this a big deal or not? It seems the timing is pretty bad for the Tory's who I assume were ahead in the polls? Is this a shift so that he can just be on the winning team or is there more to this? It seems however, that Blair will in all likelihood be reelected, and perhaps the three most vilified politicians in recent memory, Bush, Howard, and now Blair would have all won.

Yeah this will likely be headline news tomorrow, I can't think of an MP whos done this in my lifetime. Certainly been rebellions, but no-ones actually swoped parties that in the last 20 years at least. This will probaby be quite damaging to tories, much more than the recent squable between Brown and Blair.

Actually, there where several defections when the Tories where last in Government under John Major. They either went to Labour or Lib dems mostly, but some went Independant

So Stumason, like I said, Im a totaly ignorant of UK politics. Is this a deal breaker for the Labour government? Or is it just anouther political hack jockying for position?

[edit on 1/15/05 by FredT]

Im not up to date on politics over there so what are these ""dangerous" views on Europe, "incoherent" policies on public services " he is talking about?

Does he have a good point there?

Originally posted by stumason
Actually, there where several defections when the Tories where last in Government under John Major. They either went to Labour or Lib dems mostly, but some went Independant

Oops, i take it all back then. It'll still be mega damaging though.

To be perfectly honest, I doubt this will make much difference as Labour will win anyway.

Having said that, I have never heard of this Robin Jackson MP, and doubt he carries an enormous amount of political weight (I may be wrong, but I have never heard of him)

The unfortunate thing is, everytime the Tories anounce their policies, they get overshadowed by something else, be it Iraq, Prince Harry, or a cat stuck up a tree.

The apathetic British public gets fed lots of pro-Labour stuff from the press, but very little Pro-anyone else information, usually just scandals which are damaging and only serve to cement the Governments position (which currently is just over your left shoulder, telling you what you can and cant do every waking moment of your life).

Robert Jackson was a minister in one of Thatcher's govs.

news.bbc.co.uk...

he is, apparantly, the 3rd tory to defect to the Labour party since 1997.

The apathetic British public gets fed lots of pro-Labour stuff from the press,

- Oh come on Stu, the British press is overwhelmingly sympathetic to the tory party and the small 'c' conservative British establishment (of which the Labour party is, now becoming admittedly a part of) and the few that aren't are pretty much neutral (Independant and Guardian) to the Labour party.....or like the Mirror attack it for not being leftist enough.

Take The Sun for example.
You'd hardly call putting a few isolated articles supposedly written by the PM in the paper from time to time and on general election polling day alone saying "Vote Labour" as 'support' would you....when for the other 364 days of the year they are as right-wing as possible on every subject and 'issue' going?

....and come on, let's be honest.
The only reason the say 'Vote Labour' at all is because even they recognose the undesirability of association with that sad bunch of such obviously out of touch losers.

BTW seen the poll in The Scotsman? Labour are on course for a 3rd landslide of 160 majority apparantly.

news.scotsman.com...

The issue is whether the tory party disintegrates, I think. There is absolutely zero sign of any electoral improvement for them. I honestly wonder if that party will break up or not after a 3rd trouncing on the bounce.
Even when Labour lost 4 in a row there were signs of revival in their 3rd loss and the 4th was close.

but very little Pro-anyone else information, usually just scandals which are damaging and only serve to cement the Governments position

- We don't have a 'privacy' law in the UK surely this applies to both main parties?

Surely the Labour 'scandels' have been equally covered?

It's just that people know the comparison of this gov's record compared to the other crowd reflects so badly on the other lot that they take so little notice of these - pretty mild, in the scheme of things....no-one from Labour, unlike their tory counterparts, has gone to jail - 'scandels'.

(which currently is just over your left shoulder, telling you what you can and cant do every waking moment of your life).

- This interests me Stu. What do you feel you are being 'told'?

Is it not just legitimate health advice? You have been 'told' nothing, surely? Cos if you really think you have I've certainly missed it!

It's surely nothing as crass as the tory parties' 'back to basics' strictures on personal behaviour, hmmm?


[edit on 16-1-2005 by sminkeypinkey]

Bah, Sminkey! I was on an anti-government rant there.... you spoilt it for me!

I know that Labour gets it's fair share of a whalloping in the media, but I feel that the Tories are unfairly picked upon (probably self inflicted, but it is shown up more than Labours faults, with thier army of spin doctors)

As for the Government "telling" us what to do, its the constant stream of "health advice" that is the tip of the iceberg. Its not the advice, per se, but the way in which it is constantly given in a manner which suggests we are children and need constant babysitting.

We all know what is good/bad/ugly....why the constant efforts to infringe our lives to "force" us into doing what they deem to be "best" for us?

PS: Check out Seekerofs thread on that CIA report into the the "EU's collapse in 2020"....most amusing.....

Cheers Stu.

I'll give that thread a look.

...Just another Tory MP that see's his party rapidly declining and jumps ship to another party in the hope that his electoral constituency will still re-elect him under the guise of another party, this case being Labour and thus keeping his job.

In all probability he has taken a measure of the mood of the electorate in his constituency and calculated that if he's stays a Conservative MP and stands again for re-election, he will probably loose.

Originally posted by spacemunkey
...Just another Tory MP that see's his party rapidly declining and jumps ship to another party in the hope that his electoral constituency will still re-elect him under the guise of another party, this case being Labour and thus keeping his job.

In all probability he has taken a measure of the mood of the electorate in his constituency and calculated that if he's stays a Conservative MP and stands again for re-election, he will probably loose.

- Eeerrrr no actually spacemonkey.

You would be pushed to get it more wrong, actually.

The guy is stepping down at the next election, this was not about keeping his 'job' or a crass piece of self-interest.

news.bbc.co.uk...

Well if thats the case, that he's standing down after the election ...oh dear for the Conservatives!!

Without any personal motive, its obvious that its dissatisfaction with the policies of the Conservative party.